Method of coating and impregnating webs of flexible material



E. WEINHEIM Dec. 9, 1930.

Filed June 17, 1929 Patented Dec. 9, 1939 PATENT OFFICE mun wnmnam, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

I METHOD COATING AND IMPREGNATING WEBS OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL Application flled'June 17, 1929, Serial No. 871,389, and in Germany July 18, 1925.

My invention relates to a method of coating and impregnating webs of flexible mate-' rial, for instance fabric, paper or other fibrous goods.

It has already been proposed to impregnate single layers of fabric or the like by means of distributing and squeezing rollers. It is an object of my invention to provide a stronger and more durable article of the kind described. To this end I combine a plurality of layers, each of which has been treated as described, into a single web.

I may also supply a water-proofing or other compound to the layers immediately before combining them.

In the drawings affixed to this specification and forming part thereof a machine embodyin my invention is illustrated diagrammatically by way of example in elevation.

The machine illustrated is designed to combine two separate layers into a single web, but it is understood that I am not limited to the combination of two layers but may combine any number of layers, as required.

Referrin now to the drawings, the machine here lllustrated comprises two identical units, each having a suppl reel 1 and 1', respectively, from which the a ers 2 and 2 which are to be' combined, are ta en to a common reel 3 after having been finished. As the units are identical, only the unit at the right will be described in detail, the corresponding parts of the other unit being marked with the same reference numerals, but indexed.

The supply. reel 1 is provided with two rollers 4: and 5 which are actuated by suitable means, not shown, and feed notthe reel- 1 but the layer on the reel so that variations in the velocity due to the varying diameter of the supply-on the reel are eliminated as would be the case if the reel 1 were rotated at constant velocity. The velocity atwhich the rollers 4 and 5 feed the material is obviously a function of their'circumferential velocity "and is not influenced by the diameter of the reel. Obviously, means, not shown, must be provided for varying-the radial distance of the rollers 4, 5 from the axis of the reel 1 as the diameter of the supply the layer. a pair of feed rollers 17 arid-18 which are varies. 6 is a stationary roller at some distance from the reel 1, and 7 is a movable squeezing roller, the layer 2 passing between the two rollers. I Rotation is imparted to the roller 6 by any suitable means, not shown, while the roller 7 is rotating idly. Any suitable means may be provided for exerting pressure on the idle roller 7 which means in the present instance is illustrated as a toggle lever system comprising a lever 8 which is fulcrumed at 9 in the frame of the machine, ahlever 10 at the end of which the roller 7 is -rotatably carried, and a-weight 11 which is suspended by a chain 12 from the pivot 13 of the system. The pin about which the roller 7 rotates is moving on a track 14. In this manner horizontal thrust is exerted on the roller 7 which forces it toward the 2 roller 6 so that the layer 2,is compressed between the two rollers. The compound which is applied-to the layer is stored in a tank 15 and isdischarged or extruded through a pipe 16 at some point intermediate the reel 1 and the idle roller The compound is distributed uniformly and forced into the fibres of the layer 2 by means of the roller 7. The weight of the roller 7 does not influence the layer as it is absorbed by the track 14 so that only the horizontal component of the vertical pressure exerted by the weight 11 is exerted on 89 The web now passes on toward also rotated by suitable means, not shown. As will appear the two layers 2 and 2 are combined into a single web 19 between these rollers and this'finished web is wou-ndon the reel 3. A. scraper 20 may be provided intermediate the roller 6 and the roller 17 for re- I moving any excess of compound and for assisting in its uniform distribution. It is un- 'derstood that any means other than the scrap er might be provided.

Above the point where the two layers are combined into the web 19 a tank 21 is provided from which an additional compound,

T such as a waterand weatherproofing liquid,

may be applied ,to the spacebetween the two layers 2, 2'.

The goods obtained by my process may be waterproof and reinforced leather substitutes, oil clo'thfrubber cloth, aper and other fibrous materials, and may e used, for instance, as waterproof covers for vehicles. .It

will be understood that I obtain notless than twolayers of fabric or the like, ,each coated or impregnated separately, anda layer of a waterproofing compound between each two layers. As mentioned,.any number of lay ers of fabric or the like may be provided 10 alternately with layersof weatherproof emul sions, liquids and the like,vor mixtures of such materials, so that each layer increases the strength of the material until the combined cloth or the like is practically secured against'destruction and its several layers cannot be separated. In combining two or more fabrics or the like into a single compound web as described, each fabric is subjected to the same treatment so that the several fabrics to be combined are of exactly uniform 'size and quality and the web obtained by combining them is of uniform size, quality, thickness, width and specific gravity throughout.

I wish it to be understood that Ido not 5 desire to be limited to the exact details of operation and construct on shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

In the claims afiixed to this specification 0 no selection of anyparticular modification of the invention is intended to the exclusion of other modifications thereof and the right to subsequently make claim to any modifications not covered b these claims is expressly reserved.

I claim: 1. The method of making webs from several layers comprising-"treating each layer separately with a compound, combining the 40 several layers into a single web, and applying a compound between said layers.

2. In a machine for making webs' from several layers, the combination, with a unit for treating each layer separately, of means for combining the layers into a single web, and of means for applying between said layers acompound at the point where they are combined.

3. The method of coating or impregnating 5 a web of flexible material, comprising applying plastic material to a layer, applying plastic material to another layer, causing said two layers to move relatively toward each other, causing them to travel in close parallel relation, applying waterproofing mate- 'rial to said layers at the point where they start for the said parallel movement, applyin'g pressure to said layers while they are moving in parallel, and keeping the tension to and travelingvelocity of the webs equal anduniform' throughout all these operations.

In testimony whereof .I aflix my signature.

, EMIL WEINHEIM. 

